Milling machine



.Oct. 1-4, 1924.

- 1,511,243 G. D. SUNDSTRAND MILLING MACHINE Filed March '7. 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 14, 1924. 1,511,243

ca. D. SUNDSTRAND MILLING MACHINE Filed March '7. 1921 1 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 14. 924.

rf/ZML G. D. SUNDSTRAND MILLING MACHINE Filed March '7. I 192 WEN %\N G. D. SUNDSTRAND Gd. 14. i924 MILLING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March '7. 192] MQQHH M. .H.H M M| Li llltiilll Patented Oct. 14,, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAF DAVID $UNDSTRAND, 0F ROCKFORD,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ROCKFORD MILLING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GUs'rAF DAVID SUND- STRAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Rockford, county of Winnebago, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Milling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

y invention relates to milling machines and is directed chiefly to improvements in the devices for producing movements of translation between the rotating cutter and the work carrying element.

One object of the invention is to arrange a control for quickly securing either a fast motion, commonly known as a traverse, or a slow motion commonly known as a feed, in either direction. In thepresent embodiment I accomplish this object by the useof a selective' hand lever 'not dissimilar from that employed for controlling the speed changes in automobile transmission.-

Auother object is to provide either a feed or a traverse in either direction by means of a single change speed device along any number of difierent lines of movement.

Another object is to locate the hand control lever above the work in an out of the way position to the extent that it is not apt to be accidentally struck by the workmans body as he moves about the machine and yet where it can be operated while the workman is in a convenient position closely to observe the work.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a milling machine illustrating the application of my invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same machine with the saddle clamp removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of part of the transmission carried by the column. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section throughthe clutch and control lever casings. Fig. 5 is Fig. 9 is a central section through the same,

parts. Figs. 10 and 11 are detail sectional MILLING MAGHETE.

Application filed Karen 7, 1921. Serial no. 450,304.

ward and away from the column and a work table 16 slidable on the saddle across the face of the column. The work table is thus mounted for movement along any one of three mutually perpendicular lines of movement.

To perform a cutting operation by means of the machine shown, the spindle 18 must be rotated and the work table 16 moved with respect to the spindle to cause a cutting tool carried by the spindle to'operate upon the work. The spindle 18 may be driven by means of power from ,a suitable source illustrated as an electric motor 20 carried on a bracket 22 extending from the rear of the column and connected to the spindle by transmission including reduction gearing within a housing 24, a reversing gear within Selective control.

To impart the desired movement to the work table the parts supporting it are clampfi against sliding movement along all lines of movement except one and power must then be transmitted to produce a feed or traverse along this last mentioned line of movement. For this purpose a vertical shaft 28 mounted on the side of the column is connected to the work supporting parts by suitable transmission devices to be described hereinafter so as to deliver power to move the work table along any one of the lines of movement provided. For the purpose of providing either a feed or traverse in either direction along the line of move-- splined clutch collars 32 and 34 interposed between pairs of opposed bevel gears 36 and 38, respectively. The upper pair of bevels 36 each mesh continuously with a bevel 40 mounted on a horizontal axis on a shaft 42 suitably journalled in the casing, which shaft is driven from a drive shaft 44 within the column through large gear 46, intermediate gear 48 and pinion 50 on the shaft. This provides for driving shaft 28 at high speed in either direction.

To drive the shaft at low speed in either direction, the lower pair of bevels 38 mesh with bevel 52 on horizontal shaft 54 which is driven from a pinion 56 through gear 58 and gear 60 on the shaft. The pinion 56 may be driven at any one of a number of different speeds by means of any suitable or preferred set of change gears, and as these devices are well known in the art and the particular set of gears selected for this purpose is immaterial so far as the present invention is concerned, detailed description of the change gears is deemed superfluous.

I have provided transmission means controlled by a single lever automatically operative to shift either one of the clutch collars into engagement with either of the bevels associated therewith but so constructed that it is impossible to provide more than one power connection toshaft 28 at any one time. These connections comprise vertical slides 62 and 64 carrying at their lower ends finger pieces 66 and 68 engaging grooves in the splined clutch collars. Each slide is resiliently held in one of threepositions by means of a spring pressed plunger 70 (see Fig. 4) the point of which enters in one of three notches 7 2 in the slide. The control lever 74 is pivotally connected by a horizontal pintle 76 with a vertical plunger 7 8 slidable in bearings 80 (see Fig. 6) in a casing 82. The plunger 78 may reciprocate vertically and also rotate about its vertical axis to swing a horizontal arm 84 fixedly mounted on the plunger into notch 86 or notch 88 in the-slides 64 and 62 respectively. Rotation of the plunger 7 8 by means of the hand lever 74 is made possible by entering the inner end of the hand lever in a horizontal slot 90 provided between spaced lugs extending from the rear wall of the casing 82. To limit the movements of the lever 74, the front wall of the casing 82 carries a cover plate 92 cut away as clearly shown in Fig. 4. At pin 94 carried by the lever 74 in the plane of the cover plate 92 engages the ends of centrally located projections 96 in the cover plate to prevent vertical movement of the lever when it is centrally positioned. In this position the arm 84 (see Fig. 5) projects slightly into both notches 86 and 88, but rotation of the plunger about a vertical axis far enough to permit the pin 94 to aline itself with vertical slots 98 or with vertical slots 100 in the cover plate will shift the arm into notch 86 or notch 88, respectively, to connect the control lever with slide 64 or slide 62 as the case may be. The weight of the control lever, plunger and arm is preferably approximately counterbalanced by a spring 102 so that whether down, the force applied by the workman need only be sufiicient to overcome the holdin action of the spring pressed plunger 7 0 to shift the slide and move the corresponding clutch collar into engagement with the bevel selected to produce the desired movement.

It will be seen that the horizontal shifting of the projecting end of the lever operates to select either the high speed or the low speed clutch at the will of the operator and that subsequent vertical displacement in either direction will operate to rotate shaft 28 at the speed selected by the first movement of the lever in the direction selected by the second movement. In use such an arrangement is even simpler than the system of control commonly employed in automobile transmissions, in that speed is selected by horizontal movement and direction by vertical movement, and that the selection of direction is the same regardless of the speed previously selected.

Transmission to table.

The connections for transmitting power from shaft 28 to move the table 16 along any desired line of movement will next be described. Shaft 28 drives the pinion 104 which through an intermediate gear 106 and pinion 108 drives the vertical upwardly extending shaft 110 (see Fig. 3). A combined knee clamp and transmission support 112 fixedly fastened on the 'knee projects beside the column 1.0 and carries a sleeve 114 having splined engagement with shaft 110. A bevel gear 116 onsleeve 114 and a bevel gear 118' transmit the power to a horizontal shaft 120 extending forwardly past the plane of the front of the column. and carrying at its front end a pinion 122. An intermediate pinion 124 driven from the pinion 122, meshes with a gear 126 having splined engagement with a drive shaft 128 for the table feed. 1

From the gear 126 another intermediate the slide is to be moved up or gear 130 (see Fig. 8) transmits power to gear 132 on the high speed shaft 134 carried by the knee. A splined clutch 136 on the high speed shaft 134 may be moved into engagement with a sleeve 138 rotatable on the shaft 134, the end of which sleeve is cut to form a pinion meshing with gear 140 on a slow speed transmission shaft 142 centrally located in the knee. Splined on the slow speed transmission shaft 142 is a sleeve 144 carrying gears at both ends. By sliding the sleeve'to the left from the position shown in Fig. 9, gear 146 may be moved into mesh with pinion 148 on sleeve 150 to drive the vertical screw 152 through bevel gears 154 and 156 for raising and lowering the knee. The screw 152 enters the usual nut 158 carried by the base of the column 10 for this purpose. Bysliding the sleeve in the other direction gear 160 may be moved into mesh with gear 162 on the saddle feed screw 164 which engages a nut 166 carried by the saddle to move the saddle toward and away from the column.

For'controlling the clutch 136 I employ a shaft 168 extending transversely through the knee, carrying an arm 170 engaging the clutch. for shifting the same and operated by means of a suitable handle 172. For controlling the distribution sleeve 144 I employ another shaft 174 carrying a short crank 17 6 at its inner end and operated by means of a crank 178 at its outer end.

The usual safety means may be employed F to prevent the workman from moving the knee or thesaddle beyond their proper limits of travel in either direction. I have illustrated a bell crank lever 180 rotatably mounted on shaft 174 one arm of which engagw a plunger 182 actuated by stops 184 on the column (me Fig. 8) when th knee has reached its limit of movement in either direction. The other arm of the bell crank element is connected to a vertical plunger 186 which vertical plunger also engages a crank 188 keyed on shaft 168 and will be operated by contact with suitable stops 189 (see F ig. '7) on the saddle when the saddle has reached its limit of movement in either direction. It will be seen that operation of either plunger 182 or plunger 186 will rotate shaft 168 and throw out clutch 136.

I have illustrated a suitable transmission to the table 16 from shaft 128. comprising a bevel gear 190 (see Fig. 7) on the end of shaft 128 meshing with a bevel 192 on a vertical shaft 194 which carries a pinion 196 driving an intermediate gear 198 and a drive gear 200 centrally located under the table. A casing 202 depending from the saddle supports bevel gears 190 and 192 and the splined connection between shaft 128 and gear 126 permits adjustment of the saddle without interference with the transmission of power to the table. A bevel gear 203. (see Fig. 9) is integral with or permanently fastened to the gear 200 and meshes with a bevel 204 carried by a sleeve 206 concentric with the tabfe feed screw 208. A clutch collar 210 splined on the table feed screw may bemoved into engagement with sleeve 206 to drive the feed screw. which screw engages a fixed nut 212 (see Fig. 7) and feeds the table. A suitable throw-out device is provided comprising a plunger 214 having a rack cut on one side engaging a pinion 215 formed on the shaft 216 which controls the clutch collar 210. Stops 218 are carried by the front edge of the table and will depress the plunger upon movement past the same in either direction to rotate shaft 216 and' throw out the clutch.

H and feed.

Manual means has been provided for moving the table along any one of its three lines of movement comprising handles 220 carried by the table feed screw 208, a squared end 222 projecting from the saddle feed screw 164, and a shaft 224 carrying a bevel 226 for manual operation of the screw 152, said shaft having a square end 228 adapted to be engaged by a suitable crank.

A ccesso'm'es.

Casing 112 is rigidly and permanently associated with the knee and projects beside the column as shown in Fig. 8. This projecting portion not only houses part of the transmission to the table, but also carries clamping members 230 adapted to clamp the casing to ways 232 on the column. This additional clamping attachment securing support at points spaced by a considerable distance from the plane of the front of the column materially contributes to the rigidity with which the table may be supported. The ways carried by the column project outwardly as shown in Fig. 8, the configuration of parts being such that none of the re-entrant angles on the outside of the column are closed either by the column itself or by the clamping means so as to form a pocket in which dirt might collect. The knee is also clamped to its own ways 234 as usual. as by means of blocks 236. drawn into gripping engagement with the wavs by handles 238.

The rigidity of the table support is further increased by the use of a bracket 240 (see Fig. 1) permanently attac ied to the end of the saddle and carrying at its lower end clamping means 242 for clamping the saddle bracket to the casing 112 by engage ment in a T-slot 244 (see Fig. 2).

A casing 246 (see Fig. 3) is conveniently mounted in an out of the way position at the rear side of casing 30 and houses a pump driven by shaft 248 and gear 250 sion through shaft 110 meshing with pinion 50. By .this means coolant for the cutter may be supplied through any suitable set of conducting pipes.

Operation.

In performing Work on my improved machine, after the work has been clamped in place on the table 16, the motor 20 may be started. The knee may then be raised or lowered to bring the table to the desired height and in so doing, after connecting shaft 110 to the screw152, the knee may be moved by power at a fairly high speed until it is nearly in the proper position and subsequently at a much lower speed until the final position is still more nearly approximated. These adjustments are effected by means of lever 7 4. For final adjustment with great precision, lever 74 may be shifted to neutral and the manual adjusting means employed. Y The knee is then clamped rigidly to the column :both by its own clamp-- ing means and by clamping casing 112 'to the side of the column.

The saddle may next be similarly adjusted by shifting sleeve 14 1 todrive the saddle feed screw 164 and in making this adjustment also two speeds of power movement are available, after which precise adjustment may be accomplished manually.

. After these two adjustments are made, the work is ordinarily ready to be moved past thecutter. Upon connecting the transmisto table 16 two speeds of power feed controlled by lever 74 for moving the table in either direction are immediately available. The workman may stand with his right hand on lever 74: in a position facing toward the work so as to conveniently observe the operation, or if the rear vertical surface of the work is being machined, he may lean across the table with his left hand on lever 74.

In case the work to be placed on table 16 is unusually heavy the knee or saddle or both may be adjusted to their final positions and clamped in place before the work is placed on the table by means of the crane or derrick usually employed to handle heavy piecesof work. This will avoid clamping the knee in the distorted; position produced by imposing the weight of' the work on the guideways for the knee without further support, thus securing better alinement of the parts and greater accuracy in the finished .work.

While I have illustrated and described in detail the preferred embodiment of my invent-ion, it should be clearly understood that the disclosure is merely for purposes of il lustration and that many modifications and variations will naturally occur to those skilled in the art. I aim in the subjoined claims to cover all such legitimate variations and modifications.

I claim as my invention;

1. A machine tool having, in combination, a column, a movable element carried by said column and mounted for movement along any one of three mutually perpendicular lines of movement, means for preventing said element from moving in two of said lines while leaving it free to move in the remaining line, a control lever near the top of the column in a position to be readily grasped by the raised right hand of the workman, or by his raised left hand in case he leans over the work, power transmission for moving said table, connections between said control lever and power transmission operative to effect movement of said table in either of two directions at either of two speeds along the line of motion selected, means to counterbalance the weight of the lever and associated parts to hold it in neutral equilibrium when not operated by the workman, and means for retaining it in any positionto which it is moved by the workman.

-2. A milling machine having, in combination, a column, a work table positioned in front of said column, power transmission for moving said table, a control lever near the top of the column projecting forwardly to a position over the work, and connections between said control lever and said power transmission whereby movement of said lever in one plane operates to select the speed of movement of the table without accomplishing the actual driving connection to produce such movement and subsequent movement of the lever in another plane operates to select the direction of movement of the table, such subsequent movement accomplishing the driving connections.

3. A machine tool having, in combination, a column, a movable element column and mounted for movement along any one of three mutually perpendicular lines of movement, a control lever near the top of the column in a position to be readily grasped by the workman, power transmission for moving said table including two constantly driven shafts and a third shaft carried by the column, and means operable by said control lever to connect either of said two shafts with the third shaft whereby to effect movement of said table in either of two directions at either of two speeds along the line of motion selected.

4. A milling machine having, in combination, a column, a work table positioned in front of said column, power transmission for moving said table, a control lever near the top of the column projecting forwardly to a position over the work, connections between said control lever and said power carried by said 'loo 7 transmission whereby movement of said lever in one plane operates to select the speed of movement of the tableand subsequent movement of the lever in another plane operates to select the direction of movement of the table, and means constraining the lever to move from its neutral position in the first mentioned plane only, and permitting movement in the second mentioned plane after a predetermined amount of movement in the first mentioned plane.

5. In a milling machine a work table, a column, means on the column for supporting said table for movement in any one of three mutually perpendicular lines of movement, power transmission for moving said table including a shaft mounted on the column, drive means, and means including a single control element also mounted on the column and operable to effect a connection between said drive means and said shaft whereby to cause the table to move along the line selected in either direction at either one of two different speeds, a fast speed which is always the same for any given line of movement and a slow speed adjustable by the operator to any one of a. number of values for each line of movement.

6. In a machine tool, in combination, a movable element, power transmission for effecting movement of said element, a single control lever, and connections between said control lever and said power transmission whereby movement of the lever in one plane selects the speed of movement of the movable element without completing the actual driving connections therefor and subsequent movement of the lever in another plane selects the direction of movement and completes the driving connections.

7. A machine tool having, in combination, a movable element, a distributing transmission for delivering power to said element to move it in any one of a plurality of three mutually perpendicular lines of motion, a. shaft connected to said distributing transmission to deliver power thereto, and a selective control lever for driving said shaft in either direction at either of two rates of speed.

8. In a milling machine, a work table, means for supporting said work table for movement in any one of three mutually perpendicular lines of movement, and a single control element operable to eflect movement of said table along the line selected in either direction at either one of two different speeds.

9. in a machine tool, in combination, a movable element, power transmission for effecting movement of said element, a single control lever capable of two difi'erent kinds of movement, and connections between said control lever and said power transmission whereby one movement of the lever selects the speed of movement of the movable ele ment and the other movement of the lever selects the direction of movement of the element, said connections insuring that one movement is absolutely completed before the other can occur.

10. A machine tool having, in combination, a movable element, a distributing transmission for delivering power to said element to move it in any one of a. plurality of three mutually perpendicular lines of motion, a shaft connected to said distributing transmission to deliver power thereto, and means for driving said shaft in either direction at either of two rates of speed, said means comprising a selective control lever and connections whereby movenn-nt of said lever in a. horizontal plane operates to select the speed of the shaft and subsequent movement in a vertical plane operates to select the direction of rotation of the shaft.

11. A milling machine having, in combination, a column, a work table positioned in front of said column, power transmission for moving said table, a control lever near the top of the column projecting forwardly to a position over the work table, said power transmission including a pair of control elements mounted on the column, and connections between said control lever and said elements including a pair of members operatively associated with said lever whereby movement of said lever in one plane operates to select the speed of movement of the table and subsequent movement of the lever in another plane operates to select the direction of movement of the table.

12. A milling machine having, in combination, a column, a work table mounted for movement in front of said column, power transmission for moving said table including a pair of control elements, a control lever near the top of the column projecting forwardly to a position over the table, and connections between said control lever and said elements whereby to efiect the movement of the table by said power transmission, said connections including a pair of members connected respectively with said two control elements, and means operable in the movement of said lever in one plane to efiect a connection between the lever and one or the other of said members and operable in the movement of the lever in another plane to actuate such selected member and thereby its corresponding control element.

13. A machine tool having, in combination, a movable element, a distributing trans" mission for delivering power to said element to move it in any one of a plurality of three mutually perpendicular lines of motion, a shaft connected to said distributing trausmission to deliver power thereto, and means for driving said shaft in either direction at either of two rates of speed.

14. In a machine tool, the combination of a movable element, power transmission for efi'ecting movement of said element, a single control lever, and connections between said control lever and said power transmission whereby movement of the lever in one plane selects the speed of movement of the movable element and movement in. the other plane selects the direction of movement, said connections including a pair of spaced members having oppositely disposed notches therein, and a part operable by said lever into engagement with either of said notches whereby to connect the corresponding member with the control lever.

15. In a machine tool, in combination, a movableelemcnt, power transmission for effecting movement of said element, a single control lever capable of movement only in a single plane initially and subsequently in another plane, and connections between said control lever and said power transmission whereby movement of the lever in one plane selects the speed of movement of the movable element and movement in the other plane selects the direction of movement.

16. In a milling machine, the combination of a table, power transmission for moving said table including a pair of control elements, means providing a closed chamber near the top of the column at one side thereof, a control lever mounted in said chamber for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane and in a. vertical plane, a casing mounted on the column below said chamber, said power transmission being mounted in said casing, and means connecting said control elements with said lever including a pair of slide bars and a part operable in the movement of said lever to eilect a connection between it and either one of said slide bars.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hant.

l GUSTAF DAVID SUNDSTRAND. 

